Nothing Left Out with THE LEFTOVERS

The Leftovers are made up Kurt, Adam, Andrew and Matt; a four-piece band that rocks the stage with a great love of music and of their fans. Hailing from Portland, Maine these guys record on “Crappy Records” and belt out some “Power Pop, Punk Pop, and Rock Pop” at every show they play.

The guys are down to earth, personable, and fun. I met and tracked them down in Ybor City, Florida when they opened for The Queers at the Orpheum. Besides the fact that they are all some serious eye candy, their set blew me away…something that isn’t an everyday occurrence.
During their set, The Leftovers played some of their more popular tunes like “Telephone Operator” and “Camel.” They demanded crowd participation and challenged the audience to be more animated and interactive. Their energy was contagious.

Front man and bass player, Kurt Baker, explained that recently added guitarist and vocalist, Matt Anderson had left his “legacy” of paleontology, working with his great aunt at the Smithsonian, to go on tour with The Leftovers. Before becoming the guitarist, Matt explained that he was just a roadie for them for two years, although he’d known the other guys since the band got together.
They all went to high school together and formed in 2002. They’ve been touring since 2005/2006 across the country and hit England in 2006/2007. Kurt said “We love touring. Music is the only thing I think about; Music connects with my soul and my lifeline.” This is evident in their stage presence.

With influences like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Ramones and the Romantics, it makes sense that they like to “play the songs of our idols,” according to Matt “Smash” Anderson. He also claims that he enjoys headbanging, beer and pizza as a necessity. When asked what he loves about music his answer was simple and succinct: “Playing music,” he responded. “I love the feeling you get when you can’t get a song out of your head,” which he went on to say included any song, not just one of their own.

The guitarist and vocalist opposite Matt, Andrew Rice, claimed he was the work-horse of the group as he loaded the van. Andrew has played guitar since he was a freshman in high school and said he enjoyed meeting people and making friends as part of the band experience, with the exception of “The Punishers,” which is their name for the people they’ve encountered that they just can’t stand…I may now be on that list.

When asked what he loved about music, Andrew said “I like the process or working with other people.” Among these “other people,” we cannot forget the awesome drummer, Adam Woronoff. Adam played drums for the Queers at the Orpheum on September 25, 2009 and has on and off for quite some time. Adam started on guitar but said he “Only played the drums because no one else could.” He also said “I like when music is fun,” and liked music to be light, naming The Beatles as his major influence. Overall, when asked about his love for music he said, “I like travelling and being in a band with my friends.”

Above all, these 20-something band mates have made a life out of their music. They’ve overcome all those High School band fights and dramatic break-up and disband clichés and stayed consistent, growing with each and every new song. With a discography of about 10 CDs and EPs, they have moved away from their following in New England to take the world by storm.
The Leftovers are a band to watch, and I was fortunate to see them live and talk with them in person. After getting hugs from them all and being gifted with CDs, stickers and buttons, I left knowing that this band would do great things and make amazing music, which would eventually be the songs that many fans would love to have stuck in their heads, and that many bands would idolize in the future. The Leftovers certainly left an impression on me…and Ybor City.